Press Release - Jazzaar Festival 2013

Jazzaar Festival 2013 – Press Release

Jazzaar Festival presents a premier and a reunion production in 2013 as it ventures into its third decade of Bandstand Learning with Role Models educational program. Nightly performances from April 15 – 17 in various venues and hangouts in Aarau, Switzerland will lend to the festival atmosphere in town besides the highlights in store at the Kultur & Kongresshaus Aarau (KUK) from April 18 – 20.

Aarau is a center for Jazz collaboration and thus during the Jazzaar Festival this April ripples of Jazz and its off-shoots will be felt all around town. In the Tuchlaube Aarau on Monday April 15, Jazzclub Aarau will present a night of swinging melodies. On Tuesday, April 16 the Roschtige Hundwill host a sizzling jam session. The Einstein restaurant and bar will be no exception this year in providing their elegant ambiance for another grooving Jam Session on Wednesday, April 17. There will be plenty of music flavors ranging from Jazz, funk to gospel and world music that will be dished out during these jam sessions.

The concerts at the KUK Aarau will be opened by none other than the legendary Brecker Brothers Band Reunion on Thursday, April 18. Indeed a reunion, despite the absence of the late Michael Brecker, because the old cats are in town with Randy Brecker on trumpet and his wife Ada Rovatti-Brecker on tenor sax to complete the sextet to present a special treat from their latest album. The funky cats we’re talking about are Oli Rockberger on keys and vocals, Neil Jason on bass and vocals, Mitch Stein on guitar, and Rodney Holmes on drums. A night not to be missed whether or not you’re a Brecker Brothers’ fan, because after this you’re sure to be one!

As if all that groovy funk were not enough, the next evening – Friday, April 19, the Swiss Youth Jazz Orchestra will provide the Brecker Brothers Band Reunion the hot wheels to represent their original arrangements for Big Band for ‘Some Skunk Funk’ – the Grammy Award winning album! A night of big band swinging funk with tight horn solis, groovy rhythm section and ‘impossible’ tempos, will be one to remember for the youth orchestra that had the honor to be coached and groomed for a whole week by these makers of funk (Randy Brecker on trumpet, Ada Rovatti-Brecker on tenor sax, Oli Rockberger on keys and vocals, Neil Jason on bass and vocals, Mitch Stein on guitar, Rodney Holmes on drums) and joined by Markus Hauser on alto sax, Eric Miyashiro on lead trumpet and Marques Young on trombone. The Swiss Youth Jazz Orchestra will also have the privilege and double honor of being directed by Switzerland’s legendary music director Pepe Lienhard who would work closely with the youth and the Brecker Brothers Band during the whole week prior to the concert in presenting this all star highlight in Aarau.

The finale at Jazzaar Festival 2013 is our much anticipated gospel premier production in the African music genre. Hence the evening of Saturday, April 20 is christened African Gospel Night! Fritz Renold and Helen Savari-Renold contribute to the original works with music and lyrics, while Jamshied Sharifi and Bob Freedman tailor the arrangements and orchestration for this event. The Swiss Youth World Music Ensemble with a gospel choir will plunge into the world of rhythm and pulse with organic earthy melodies and harmonies to be freed up to render the laid back and bouncy grooves of African Gospel music. The orchestra will be led by Jazzaar Festival’s music director Fritz Renold featuring Baya Magatte Ndiaye from Senegal on vocals and percussion, Michael Bradley and Rashad McPherson from the USA on vocals, Max Helfenstein on trumpet and flugelhorn, Vernon Ice Black on guitar, Etienne Stadwijk on keyboards, Kai Eckhardt on bass, Olivier Serigba on percussion and Dana Hawkins on drums. If you’ve also been yearning for one of Jazzaar Festival’s acclaimed gospel nights for a while, then expect another memorable spirit-filled performance with grand encores and standing ovations.

It is with great pleasure that Jazzaar Festival presents the above program for the educational experience and the enjoyment of cultural exchange for youth, artists and audience alike.